Heartbroken Kid
by LadyDeathwing
Summary: Prequel to New Girl on the Roster. Denise Hickenbottom is the daughter of Shawn Michaels and best friend to The Undertaker's young daughter, Cassie. But Denise is sick. Cassie, who is younger than Denise, is trying to help, but it is dangerous to her. What will happen to the Heartbreak Kid if anything happens to Denise?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hickenbottom, Denise isn't well. If we don't find a donor heart for her, she won't live to see her high school graduation," Doctor Tristan said.

Michael's face fell in agony. His Denise, his little girl, his pal, had a failing heart and short of someone else dying, there was nothing he could do for her. How could something like this happen to such a sweet little girl? She was still so little, only eight years old.

"Thanks, Doc. Please, do everything you can for her," Michael said to him.

"We will. In the meantime, while she is on the donor list, keep her on these meds. It should help stabilize her heart," Doctor Tristan said, handing Michael a group of prescriptions. "I will need to have check-ups with her every three months to keep an eye on her progress. Obviously, if there is any change in her condition get her in here to me, or considering your unique position, to the nearest emergency room. You can have them page me. My pager number is on the last page I gave you. I will call them back with any information pertinent to your daughter's case."

"Thank you again, Doc. I just hope that it won't be needed."

"As do I. It's always harder when my patients are as young as your daughter, Mr. Hickenbottom. I will do everything in my power to take care of her and give her the longest, healthiest life possible. I promise you that."

"I appreciate that."

Michael got up and picked up Denise, who had fallen asleep in the chair behind him. Cradling her to his chest, he carried her to his car, putting her in the back seat, buckling her in, and driving back to their home. Once they were there, he put her to bed, tucking her in and leaving her door open partially in case she started crying from pain in her chest again. He went downstairs and called his best friend and co-worker, Paul Levesque.

"How did things go with the doctor?" Paul asked.

Michael started crying.

"How bad is it, Michael?"

He took a deep breath.

"Her heart is failing. Doc said she'll be lucky to make it to high school graduation, Paul," he said as he started crying again.

"Screw McMahon. I'm coming down to see you guys. I'll be there in the morning."

"Thanks, Paul."

"She's like my kid, too, Michael."

"I know."

"I'll see you in the morning."

Paul got off the phone and Michael went to the living room and started a fire. He sat in his favorite recliner and cried. How could the world be so cruel to make his daughter so sick?


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One **

"Denise! Let's go!" Dad called from downstairs. "We've got to be at the airport in an hour!"

I went through my bag again, double checking that I had all my meds. Then I checked to see that I had all my clothes and toiletries. We were gonna be gone for a few months. When I was sure, I closed my suitcase and started dragging it down the hall.

"Denise if you don't get down here you'll be grounded!" Dad called upstairs.

"Funny! How are you gonna ground me in a hotel? Come up here and help me with my suitcase and we can get out of here sooner!" I shouted downstairs.

I heard Dad coming up the stairs and he saw me pulling my suitcase behind me. He picked it up and made a disapproving face at me. I'm not supposed to move things that heavy. It's too much of a strain on my weak heart. Oh well. I'm not gonna live forever anyway.

Dad went downstairs and I followed him slowly. I was used to things being just me and him. Mom sees me sometimes, but for the most part, she kept her distance. I don't know if she can't deal with a sick kid who's gonna die or if she feels like maybe she's responsible somehow for the fact that I'm gonna die young, but she split years ago. Since then, I travel the world with Dad, get homeschooled by private tutors, and hang out with the Superstars and Divas of the WWE, where my dad works.

We get in the car and Dad puts on the radio as we make our way to the airport. I stay quiet. My fourteenth birthday is coming up. I'm curious about what Dad is planning. He never tells me, but he goes all out every year because we never know which birthday will be my last. It's been five years since he found out that my heart was failing and so far we'd been lucky, but how long would our luck hold out?

After reaching the airport and a long flight, we get off the plane in Tokyo, Japan. We go through customs and meet up with Paul, my father's best friend, and his wife, the boss' daughter, Stephanie McMahon. While Dad is getting our baggage, I run up and into Paul's arms.

"Paul!" I said as he caught me.

"Hey, Kiddo!" he said as he kissed my cheek and hugged me. "How was your flight?"

"Boring. You know Dad snores," I said laughing.

"Like a Mack truck. Ear plugs are a blessing." Paul said laughing back.

We left the airport and went to the hotel. After we settled in, I found out what room my friend was in and ran down to her room. My friend Cassie, while she was only ten, was the best friend I had on the road. Her father was Mark Calaway, aka The Undertaker, and her mom wasn't really in her life either so we really got each other… Especially since both of our fathers were seriously overprotective of us.

When I got to the door I knocked and waited. Mark opened the door.

"Hey, Mark. Can Cassie come with me to hang out down in the hotel pool?" I asked.

"Will it just be the two of you, Denise?" he asked.

"Yeah. All of you have things to do to get ready for tonight."

"Are you going anywhere else?" Mark asked me.

"I promise we won't leave the hotel, Mark."

"Fine. She can meet you at your room in ten minutes. She needs to get ready."

"That's fine. I need to grab a few things anyway."

I ran back to my room and told my dad I was going to the pool. I changed into my swimsuit after arguing with him that I was not going to sit around the hotel room reading until he came back. When Cassie came to the room, I grabbed my things and ran out.

"Are we really going to the hotel pool, Denise?" she asked me.

"At least for now," I said giving her a devilish grin.

My father was one of the founding members of D-Generation X. You don't grow up with Shawn Michaels and not learn how to get into trouble. Cassie didn't mind coming along for the ride. She felt her dad was way too strict on her, so she liked coming with me on my adventures.

We hung out at the hotel pool for about an hour. I got bored. We went back to our hotel rooms, changed and went to the hotel restaurant to eat. After we ate, I decided to call up one of the wrestlers I knew wouldn't mind blowing off a bunch of meetings.

Jeff picked us up at the hotel and took us sightseeing. I knew I'd be in trouble with both my dad and Cassie's when we got back, but since Stephanie was the one running this tour, she'd excuse Jeff because I called him. I got a lot of special treatment like that in the WWE. All the Superstars were friends, big brothers, uncles, or fathers. All the Divas were big sisters and friends. The only people who really didn't give me special treatment were Vince McMahon himself and those closest to him. Everyone else treated me more like an adult than a 13 year old because I was dying.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I had put red streaks in my hair and Cassie had a second set of piercings in her ears. Jeff was always a lot of fun to hang out with. He didn't even mind when I flirted with guys in front of him. My father would have blown a fuse.

Just like I thought, Mark threw a fit when he saw Cassie pierced her ears again.

"You promised you were staying in the hotel, Denise!"

"We did… Until I got bored."

"You had no right to take her on the streets of Tokyo without an adult and without my permission!"

"We were supervised and we didn't get into any trouble. Relax, Mark. It's not like she got a tattoo or anything. She just got a second piercing in her ears. It's cute."

"Who took the two of you out?!"

"Don't worry about it. We were supervised and we're back safe, isn't that all that matters? Shouldn't she be allowed to live a little?"

At those words, Mark shut up. It worked like a charm. He gave me a look that told me that it was a low blow and I went back to my room.

"Denise, why do you keep doing these things?" Dad asked me.

"Why not, Dad? I wanna live as much as I can while I still can."

"But you're taking Cassie with you. Mark doesn't like that."

"She's ten years old. I'm the only one who even comes close to understanding her around here. He needs to stop trying to lock her up. One of these days, she's gonna come to hate him and he's gonna lose her. Then he'll be sorry."

"He's still her father."

"But life is for living, Dad. He just wants her to stay in the hotel room or at his side. That's not living."

_**Three Weeks Later:**_

We were in London for my fourteenth birthday. Dad rented this hall and we had a huge WWE bash. He even invited some local indie wrestlers to the party so there would be younger guys there. It was amazing. He spared no expense, but it wasn't one of those parties where you had to be all dressed up. I was there in a pair of black jeans and a blue halter top. My long blonde hair was cascading down my back.

I was having a great time at the party. Cassie stayed close to me so her father didn't try to keep her at his side, so she was having a good time too. She was dancing with wrestlers who were twice her age who had very sexy accents. I was happy for her. I had never seen her smile so much in one night.

The night was going great. After a while, Cassie and I lost track of each other among all the guests at the party, but I was fairly certain that she still wasn't with her father. I met this guy named Mitchell, an indie wrestler from Dublin. He had the same accent as one of my adopted fathers, Dave who was known as Finlay within the WWE.

"So, lass, ya wanna try some whiskey?" he asked me.

I knew I shouldn't be drinking with a heart condition, but I didn't care. I lived every moment as if it were my last, even if I knew I would get in trouble for it later. So I tried the whiskey. The night took on a different edge. Not that I ever really held back from what I wanted to do, but I really let loose after I started drinking with Mitchell.

Somehow, I wound up in Mitchell's hotel room, naked. Most girls would freak out about it. I didn't because that wasn't my biggest problem. It had been more than 24 hours since I had my heart medications and my chest was hurting.

"Mitchell," I said shaking him awake, looking around for my clothes.

"Hmmm," he grumbled.

"Mitchell," I said a little louder, finding my clothes and trying to get them on.

He finally woke up and realized what was going on. He helped me get my clothes on and dropped me at the local hospital. I had them call my father. He showed up twenty minutes later.

"I've been worried about you all night," he started. "Are you drunk?"

"Hung over, I think… And my chest hurts," I told him.

They ran a bunch of tests on me and called my cardiologist back in the States. After adjusting my medications, telling me no more drinking, and to rest for a few days, they released me to my father. They told him he was lucky that someone dropped me off as quickly as they had, otherwise the whole situation could have been much worse.

Dad got me back to the hotel and didn't know whether to be worried, relieved, or pissed. He went with a combination, even though he could never hold onto pissed off with me.

"What the hell happened last night?" he demanded.

"I tried whiskey with one of the indie wrestlers. Apparently I wound up back in his hotel room."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh relax, Dad. We both know I'm not gonna make it to the legal age of consent in any state or country. Does it really matter if I was drinking and had a one night stand with someone? I thought the real concern was the incident with my heart?"

"Why were you drinking, Denise?"

"I wanted to. I'd never tried it, so when he asked me if I wanted to, I figured why not? It's not like I have much to lose, Dad."

"But with your heart and your medications, things could have been very bad."

"I know. When I woke up, I wasn't feeling well. He helped me get dressed and dropped me at the hospital."

"He didn't even bother to stay with you."

"So you could kill him? Can you blame him?"

"Do you even know his name?"

"Yes. But I'm not giving it to you."

"You're impossible, Denise. Go to sleep. You need the rest. And you're not leaving this hotel room today. When I go to the arena, I'm having Finlay come stay with you and Cassie here. She's freaking out about you, too, you know. She's kept Mark up all night."

"Whatever, Dad. I'm tired anyway."

I slept until Finlay showed up with Cassie. When they came over, Cassie wanted to know what happened and I told her everything. She couldn't believe I had sex with someone. Finlay didn't like overhearing that someone from his hometown had touched me. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he hunted Mitchell down and introduced him to his shillelagh. Don't get me wrong, Finlay portrayed a heel on-screen, but he's such a sweet man to me.

"How much trouble are you in with your father?" Cassie asked me.

"I'm not allowed to leave the hotel room tonight. That's why you and Finlay are here. Like I'm up to going anywhere today anyway. I'm exhausted and still kinda weak."

"Maybe ya shouldn'ta been drinkin' and partyin' all night," Finlay called from the living room of the hotel room.

"It was worth the life experience!" I called back.

Cassie giggled. She couldn't believe the way I talked back to all the adults around me, including her father. With me, she did things that she would never do with anyone else, like the second piercing or hanging out with Jeff Hardy. Her father would never let her hang out with Jeff. Even though he's really cool, Mark thinks Jeff is off his rocker, which he is, and therefore would never let Cassie around him. Cassie hasn't found the courage at her young age to stand up to her father.

"Ya not gonna have many more of them life experiences if ya da kills ya!" Finlay called back.

Cassie and I got up and went out to Finlay.

"You know he's not gonna kill me," I said to him. "I know he worries about me, but he wants me to live and have as many life experiences as I can before I die."

"I don't think he meant tha one, Lass," Finlay said.

"Maybe not, but it's done. Can't change it."

We sat down with Finlay and played cards for a while. He ordered dinner for us and before we ate, he made sure I took all of my heart meds. After dinner, the three of us watched a movie and Cassie and I both fell asleep on Finlay's shoulders.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two **

When we returned to the States, Mark had Cassie's eleventh birthday party, which was much more reserved than my parties. He had some of the wrestlers, her brother, Gunner, his current wife, Sara, and me. Cassie stayed quiet for most of the party. The only time she showed signs of life were around me and Gunner. I felt bad for her, especially when I saw the way her step-mother looked at her. It was clear she would be happy when Mark took Cassie and left again.

At the end of the night, I gave Cassie my birthday present just before Dad and I left. I waited for her to open it. It was a pair of punk ear rings that I had seen her eyeing at the mall. Her father would never let her buy them on her own, but he wouldn't take a gift away from her. I had also gotten her a leather band bracelet. It put a real smile on her face before I left.

Getting home from the party, Dad checked the messages on the machine. I went straight to my room. I was about to jump in the shower when he called me back downstairs. Groaning, wondering if I had possibly done anything wrong, I went downstairs to his study.

"What is it, Dad?" I asked him.

"Your mother called."

"And?"

"She wants to see you."

"When are you gonna make a point?"

"Denise," he said warningly.

"Fine," I said, giving in. "When?"

"The day after tomorrow."

"But I have plans with Jeff!"

"Cancel them. You haven't seen your mother in over a year."

"Whose fault is that, Dad?"

"Denise. Cancel them. You can spend time with Jeff another day."

"I have no say in this, do I?"

"No. I don't ask a lot out of you, Pal."

"I don't really want to see her. This is getting pretty annoying, the way she randomly starts to feel either guilty or the need to feel like a good mother and then she wants to see me. Either way, she uses me to make herself feel better, Dad."

"She's still your mother."

"It's gonna end up the same way it always does. She's gonna pick me up and take me out, we're gonna go do something she likes but I hate, we'll end up arguing that I'm not enough like her, arguing that I should act more like a sick kid, I'll get stressed out, end up on a higher dosage of meds for a while, and you'll end up fighting with her. Can't we just tell her that it's not healthy for her to keep coming and going from my life considering this is all that happens when she does?"

"No. She deserves to spend time with you. And you should spend time with your mother."

"Fine. But I guess you should make sure Doc Tristan is on call for after my visit."

"Denise, why don't you try being optimistic about your mother?"

"Because she left you when I got sick, Dad."

"That's my problem, Pal."

"No, it's our problem, Dad. She left us both. It's just she won't just leave me alone. She keeps coming back."

"Go cancel your plans. I'll call your mother and tell her she can come get you."

I went upstairs and called Jeff's cell phone.

"Hey Denise," he said when he picked up.

"Jeff, I need to cancel our plans for Thursday."

"Why?"

"My mother wants to play mommy. Dad's making me go."

"I know you hate that. I assume you tried to get out of it?"

"Yup. Pointed out that it's just gonna put stress on my heart, end with me needing higher dosages of meds and him arguing with her. It didn't work. I don't get it, Jeff. She doesn't really want to be around me. Either she's feeling guilty or she's feeling like a bad mother and wants to make herself feel better. I'm not in the mood to be used, to be forced to go do things I hate to do, all because she can't live with her choices. She left us."

"I can't explain why she does the things she does. If I ever have kids, I would never leave them, especially if they needed me."

"That's because you're not an asshole, Jeff."

"We can hang out another time. When you recover from the natural disaster that is your mother. Or maybe the next time we're in North Carolina you and I can hang out at the Imag-I-Nation for the day," Jeff said, referring to the place where he did all his art and extreme stunts.

"Sounds like fun. I'm just really dreading this. I just wish she'd stay away. She left us. Now stay away already."

"It will be okay. You always get through it, Denise. And just think, we'll be leaving Texas on Friday so she won't be able to push you to see her after that."

"I guess that is something to look forward to."

_**Thursday:**_

My mother picked me up and sure enough, she brought me out for a spa day. Was she kidding? I liked to wear ripped jeans and t-shirts in my down time. I was more punk than priss and she was taking me to a spa. My naturally blonde hair was currently a soft shade of pink, thanks to a night alone with Jeff before we came back to the States. I stuck out at a spa like a sore thumb.

"Mom, really? This isn't my type of thing," I said to her as they brought us for mani/pedis.

"Every girl your age should get pampered like this," she said ignoring me.

I stayed quiet as they started the pedicures. As we sat there, I started thinking of different ways I could make sure I outlived my mother. None of them were pretty.

"Denise, did you hear me?" she said breaking into my thoughts.

"Sorry, no. What were you talking about?"

"Isn't this just great? A girls day out at the spa, getting pampered. I bet your father never does this for you."

"I don't want him to. I don't like this."

"That's because you don't have a maternal figure in your life, Sweetheart."

I wanted to puke when she called me that.

"No, I don't think it's that, Mom. There are plenty of Divas on the roster who are into this kind of thing. It's just not me. I think it's a waste of time. I prefer to be out doing things, seeing things."

"Like dying your hair pink and piercing your ears fifty times?"

"I only have six piercings in each ear, Mom. But yes, I like to express myself."

"I don't like the ways you express yourself, Denise. Maybe it would be better, more stable, if you came and lived with me and Bradley from now on."

I pulled my feet away from the pedicurist.

"What?"

"Someone in your condition should have stability. You don't. I think you should come stay with us."

I started putting on my socks and sneakers.

"You don't know the first thing about taking care of a kid with a heart condition. You don't wanna know anything about me. You want me to be a clone of you. I'm happy with Dad. And we're done. I'm not gonna keep pretending to enjoy this stupid spa just because you wanna play mommy. You walked out on that a long time ago. Please just leave me and Dad alone already," I snapped at her as I started walking away.

When I got outside, I didn't want to call Dad. He'd be upset that I flipped out on Mom so soon. I called Jeff.

"What's wrong, Denise?"

"Can you come pick me up at the Venus Day Spa? I can't do this," I said.

"I'll be there soon."

I hid out of sight so my mother wouldn't see me on the off-chance she came looking for me. She didn't. Jeff showed up twenty minutes later and I jumped into his car. I was crying.

"Can we just go anywhere but here?" I asked him.

"Sure, Kid," he said as we pulled away.

I sent Dad a text letting him know we'd had a fight and I was with Jeff, needing time to cool off. I told him I would be home for dinner and would explain everything. In the meantime, Jeff took me to his friend's hotel room. We watched old home videos of Matt and Jeff making fools of themselves until I felt calm enough to go home.

On the way home, I explained to Jeff what happened with my mother. He couldn't believe she had pulled that. After years of pushing me out of her life, now she nonchalantly just wants to take me from Dad? No.

In the house, Dad had my heart meds on the dining room table along with a sandwich, knowing I hardly ever ate after dealing with her. Sitting at the table, I picked at the sandwich, eating what I could before I took my medications. Finally, I looked at him, knowing I needed to tell him what happened.

"I couldn't do it. I'm sorry. I tried like you told me to, Dad, but she was worse than normal."

"What happened?"

"After she essentially told me there's something wrong with me because I'm not into spa days and the way I look, she said it's because I don't have a maternal influence. Then she said I should go live with her. I snapped at her and left. She doesn't know me. She doesn't _want_ to know me. She _chose_ to leave us, Dad. I don't want to live with her."

Dad got up and hugged me. I could tell he was pissed off, but this time it wasn't at me. The anger was at her. He was on my side. He didn't think she had any more right to try to take me away than I thought she did. The two of them were gonna end up fighting again, and this time I hoped it meant I never had to be forced to see her again.

I went upstairs and called Cassie. With this being one thing we both understood, it was relaxing to call her and tell her what happened with her. She couldn't believe what happened either.

"If my mother ever tried that, I'd just run away," she said to me.

"I'm not going. She can go to hell. How can she decide no, she doesn't want me because I'm sick and then years later because she doesn't like how I dress she wants me all of a sudden? Dad's pissed."

"He won't let her take you away."

"I know he won't. I'm just so pissed off about this. I didn't want to go and this is what happens when I did."

"It will be okay. I promise."

"Thanks, Cassie. I'll talk to you tomorrow, I'm tired."

"Alright."

We got off the phone and I went right to sleep.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three **

Over the next three months I wound up in the hospital twice. Why? My mother. She wouldn't just let things go. She tried to get full custody of me. Dad had his lawyers and his friends and even the McMahons who testified that I had been on the road with Dad since I was 8 because my mother abandoned us when I got sick. They testified to the fact that Dad and I were extremely close, he took very good care of me, and no matter what city or country we were in, my cardiology needs were covered.

Still, most courts would prefer to keep someone like me in a stable environment, which short of Dad quitting the WWE, he couldn't give me. It looked like Mom was going to get custody. At least until I wound up in the hospital the second time. The trial was hard on Dad and that made it even harder on me. Every night, I was waking up screaming in pain. Finally, one morning, not only was I having severe pain in my chest, I couldn't breathe. When Dad came to wake me for court, my lips were blue because my heart wasn't circulating enough blood.

Dad rushed me to the hospital. Doctor Tristan was there when we got there. I was rushed into surgery. Apparently, while I was in surgery Dad's lawyer told the judge that I was in surgery and Dad couldn't be in court. When I woke up in the cardiac ICU, Dad was at my side. I had wires hooked up to me everywhere, keeping track of everything going on in my body.

The trial was put on hold until I was moved out of the cardiac ICU. When I was able to be moved to the regular cardiac wing, Paul and other wrestlers took turns staying with me while Dad went to court to fight for me. Still, every day that he was gone, I was worried that he would come to the hospital and say she won. One day, it was Doctor Tristan who came in with good news for me.

"How are you feeling today, Denise?" he asked.

"I'm worried about my dad. It makes my chest tight," I told him.

"What if I told you that you had nothing to worry about?"

"How? The judge seemed like he wants to keep me with my mom because it means I'll be in one place. I hate her."

"I was in court today. I had to testify in the matter."

"What happened?"

"The trial is over. The decision is made."

"Are you gonna keep messing with me knowing you can make my heart stop, Doc?"

"Alright, alright, take a deep breath and calm down. Your father will be here later and would have preferred to tell you himself, but given how much this affects your heart, I'll tell you," he started. "When I was called on to testify, I told the truth. I stated that given your mother's choice to leave you and your father rather than learn to cope with your illness from the start I don't think now that it has progressed she will be easily able to cope with a child with a failing heart. Furthermore, I pointed out that if she truly cared about you, she would not be risking your life by putting you through this custody battle because both times you were hospitalized during the proceedings were as a direct result of the unnecessary stress the idea of being ripped away from your father was putting on your already weak heart. The judge sided with me. Your father has full custody. Whether or not you have to see her again is completely up to him."

I was so happy I wanted to jump up and down. I started squealing in excitement.

"Relax. I don't want to have to sedate you to keep you from overdoing it."

"Thank you, Doctor Tristan! This means so much to me!"

At that moment, Dad walked in.

"I guess you told her the good news?"

"I'm sorry, Michael, but she was stressing herself out and that isn't good for her heart," Dr. Tristan explained.

"I understand. Thank you for helping us," Dad said, coming to hug me.

"I just told the truth. You have followed all of my instructions to the letter. Whenever she's had a problem, you've had the nearest hospital contact me so we could coordinate on the best treatment for her, she's taken her meds, and you've found ways of getting her in to see me every three months. You've been the one to take care of her through all the ups and downs with her heart. Her mother ran. I don't think she would have handled taking care of her well," Dr. Tristan said.

"Well, thanks anyway. Now Denise doesn't have to worry about this ever again."

"Not a problem," Dr. Tristan said looking over my chart. "If she can stay stable for the next few days, I'll release her, but I have to let you know, the toll of this trial isn't just going to go away."

"What do you mean, Doc?" I asked.

"Denise, I'm sorry, but the damage to your heart is getting worse. Your heart will be weaker than it already was."

"So I'll be on more meds and restrictions?"

Doctor Tristan looked from me to my dad. I didn't like the look on either of their faces.

"The surgery we did was a temporary fix for you. It won't last forever. I'm sorry. We need to get you a new heart. Sooner rather than later."

"How long, Doctor Tristan?" Dad asked.

"Less than a year, Michael. Her heart won't hold on much longer than that."

I looked at my dad. The day had been so good, but in the end, my mother had ruined everything anyway. Doctor Tristan squeezed my hand and Dad's shoulder, apologized again and left the room. Dad tried not to cry, but when he thought I was asleep, I heard him crying at my bedside.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

It had been six months since I had gotten out of the hospital. When I got out, I convinced Dad to have a huge party with the Superstars and Divas. Jeff and his band performed. He made sculptures that were used as decorations. Even though we had gotten bad news, I wanted to celebrate, so we did.

Cassie and I started getting into more trouble. One day we went out, telling our fathers that we were going to lunch and I put purple streaks in Cassie's hair. I started buying her clothes that she liked and she started dressing more punk, less like the good Texas girl we were both supposed to be. Mark didn't like the change in jewelry or clothes, but Cassie wasn't disappearing all night.

I did sometimes. When we were travelling, I would go to the arena with Dad to watch the show, but after his matches, sometimes I would just leave. I was anonymous anyway. Nobody knew who I was. Dad made sure of that. He didn't want the world all over me knowing that I was sick.

Randomly, I would find kids who thought I was like them, just another punk teenager. Sometimes I'd go to parties with them. Raves that lasted all night. While Cassie and I were close, she was eleven and I wasn't going to bring her into something like that. With me, what was the worst that could happen? I could die? It was happening anyway. Cassie on the other hand, had a long life ahead of her and while I was getting her into some habits her father didn't like, I wasn't going to risk her life.

I was in Chicago when I happened to run into a group of those kids. I had left the arena Dad and the others were at early and had been roaming the streets. A group of kids were sneaking down an alley I was in when one of them bumped into me.

"Watch where you're going!" I complained.

"Hey! Maybe you should watch what _you're_ doing," he said. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You have a slight drawl. Where you from?"

"Texas."

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find something to do. I'm bored out of my mind," I said to him.

"Come with us. I think you'll like where we're going," he said.

"Where's that?"

"Rave. Down in an abandoned building."

"Fine. But tell me your name first at least."

"Marcus. What's your name?"

"Denise. Let's go."

We went to the party and it was awesome. There were strobe lights, glow sticks, blaring music. There were tons of kids my age and a little older… And none of them knew anything about me. It was perfect.

Marcus and his friends kept close to me all night. We danced and laughed. We got to just let loose and have fun. I ignored my cell phone for most of the night. It wasn't until almost dawn when I felt it vibrate and saw that it was Matt Hardy calling that I told Marcus I needed to pick it up.

"Hello," I shouted into the line.

"Denise? Where the hell are you? Your father has all of us out looking for you," Matt said.

"I made some new friends! I'm fine. I'll be at the hotel in a little bit."

"Denise, tell me where you are now!"

"No! You're a party pooper, Matt! I'll see you later, Matt. Bye!"

He was yelling something on the other line when I hung up on him. I went back over to Marcus and my new friends.

"So what was that about?" Marcus asked into my ear.

"A family friend. Apparently, my dad has them out looking for me."

Just then, my phone started ringing again. I looked down and saw this time it was Jeff. I told Marcus I had to pick it up and went to answer it.

"Jeff! Hey! What's up?"

"Denise, did you just call Matt a party pooper and hang up on him?"

"Well he is."

"Where are you?"

"Why? Do you wanna come party? I'm sure you'd be very popular here at the rave."

"You're at a rave, Denise? Have you taken anything?"

"No. I'm fine! Come have fun, Jeff!"

Jeff got me to tell him where I was. Marcus didn't believe me when I told him that Matt and Jeff Hardy were coming to pick me up so him and his friends waited outside with me. When the Hardy brothers got out of the car, they were pissed and they zeroed in on Marcus.

"What did you give her, you little shit?" Matt yelled, slamming Marcus into the wall.

"Nothing. I didn't give her anything," Marcus said.

"You're a liar," Jeff said, after he put me into the car. "She's drunk and possibly stoned."

"You'd know," Marcus' friend Toby commented under his breath.

Jeff grabbed him by his shirt.

"What did you just say, punk?" Jeff asked him.

"Nothing, Sir," Toby said.

"Now what did you give her?" Jeff demanded.

In the end, Marcus and his friends admitted to spiking my drinks. Jeff and Matt brought me back to Dad and he put me to bed. When I woke up, I had a monster headache. He gave me my meds, but wouldn't give me anything for the headache.

"You ran off again, Denise."

"I was bored. It was just a party."

"You were drunk when you were brought back here by the Hardy brothers earlier."

"I didn't do that on purpose, Dad. Those guys spiked my drinks. I had told them no."

"Why would you drink anything you didn't get for yourself?"

"I wanted to just be a teenager, Dad. Not a terminal heart patient. I didn't want to think for the night."

"Denise…"

"Seriously. I just went out looking to forget everything last night and they did that. Other than getting drunk, I had a lot of fun at the party."

"Denise, please don't keep doing this. You're turning fifteen in two months. I'd like you to beat the odds and live to see sixteen, eighteen."

"Dad… I know you want that, but I don't want to play everything safe, hoping I can beat the odds and risk not beating the odds and not having lived my life."

"Denise, you need to slow down. Your heart can't take it. Do you realize you just slept for over twenty four hours?"

I pulled out my cell phone and looked at the date and time. He was right. It was Wednesday afternoon.

"I'll try to slow it down, Dad. But I'm not gonna stop living out of fear."

Dad came and hugged me. We ordered lunch. I wasn't that hungry, which surprised me and worried Dad.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

By the time my fifteenth birthday came around, I had been forced to calm down. My heart was getting weaker by the day. I spent all my time with Cassie, Dad, Jeff, Paul, Randy, Matt, Amy, and Trish. The party was nice, again, Dad spared no expense, but no matter how much everyone tried to pretend this wasn't going to be the last birthday bash, we all had our feelings it would be.

Cassie came and hung out with me in the corner I was staying in during the party. I wasn't really up to being the life of the party like I usually was at my parties, acting like nothing was wrong with me that day. Even though I wasn't moping or anything, I just wasn't off the walls like normal, so the Superstars and Divas came to hang out with me randomly through the night.

"How are you feeling, Denise?" Cassie asked me.

"Honestly? I'm starting to get tired a lot of the time. Things that were nothing to me a few months ago take a lot of effort now," I told her.

She took my hand in her hand, stroking it.

"I'm sorry you're not doing good now," she said to me.

"Eh, we all knew it would happen eventually, Cassie."

"You're my best friend, Denise," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry, Cassie," I said, pulling her closer to me. "You're my best friend, too. Don't worry, I'm not just giving up."

"But you're getting so sick," she said, getting upset.

"I know. And I have been for a long time. It doesn't mean that I'm gonna die tomorrow, Cassie. They told my dad that my heart was screwed up when I was eight. That's seven years ago. You were only like four when that happened. Now, here I am, fifteen, you'll be twelve soon, and I'm still here. What does that tell you?"

"That you're stubborn?" she said trying to laugh.

"Damn straight! I'm not giving up without a fight. I've lived my life, Cassie. I've done almost everything a person can do in one lifetime and I'm only fifteen. I've seen the world, I've done different things. I've made friends all over. And I'm still here. Don't worry about me, I'm gonna stick around as long as I can."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

I was feeling a little better suddenly.

"You know what, let's dance. I think I'm up to it."

"Why don't you dance with one of the guys? I'm not good at dancing," Cassie said to me.

"Are you sure?"

"Go. Have fun."

Cassie stayed at my table. I went and had fun with some of the guys. I felt okay for a few days. I wanted to hang out with Cassie, but wound up hanging out with Jeff and some of the other wrestlers because Cassie wasn't up to hanging out.

A few months later, Cassie turned twelve and I was at her party, which was on the road with the WWE. As usual, Cassie didn't look like she was having that much fun, but Jeff helped me make her a sculpture for her birthday. It was small so she could keep it with her while she traveled. I gave it to her before Dad told me I had to go back to the hotel to rest.

Over the four months following Cassie's twelfth birthday, I started noticing a pattern. When I started feeling my worst, it was followed by me cycling on really good days. However, during those days where I felt really good, like my heart was almost normal, Cassie was usually really sick. Finally, I sat down with her.

"Cassie," I started one day where I was feeling semi-normal and she wasn't sick, "why is it that you keep getting sick when my heart is getting better? What are you doing?"

"Why do you think it's me?" Cassie asked, trying to dodge the question.

"Cassie, we've been best friends for years. I know what you can do, what your powers are. Are you doing something to help me?"

She looked down at her hands, which she was wringing.

"Cassie! You have to stop! You're getting sick and there's no point!"

"I can help you, Denise. Maybe I can help you long enough for them to find you a new heart," she said looking at me, begging to let her help.

"Cassie, you're getting sick. You can't cure my heart."

"I'm just trying to help."

"I don't want you to get hurt to help me, Cassie."

"You're my best friend. I love you. I don't want to lose you."

"I'm sure the doctors will find a way to help me," I said more optimistic than I felt.

Cassie hugged me and I was really worried. How far would she go to keep me alive? Was there any way to stop her?

I kept trying to convince Cassie not to try to help me. But I was growing weaker every day. I had already proven the odds wrong, because I had lived more than the year that Doctor Tristan had told me and Dad I would live after the trial. Still, it didn't look like a new heart was anywhere in my near future. No matter how much I tried to hide the lack of hope the doctors left me and dad with from Cassie, she picked up on it.

Cassie was visiting me at home. Dad had taken a leave of absence from work to take me home to Texas. It was too hard for me to travel anymore. We were watching a movie in my room, talking about the crazy things we'd done on the road together when I fell asleep. When I woke up, the movie was over, I felt stronger than I had in weeks, and Cassie was white as a ghost next to me on my bed.

"Dad!" I yelled.

Dad came running up the stairs to my room.

"What's wrong?"

"Dad, Cassie's barely breathing! I don't know what happened! We were watching a movie, and talking, I fell asleep and I just woke up to find her like this!"

I got up to turn her over and then realized I could get up on my own. I hadn't been able to do that in a while. Dad, who was about to call 911 froze.

"Call Mark and get him over here now, Dad!"

"Cassie, she needs a doctor!"

"No, she needs her father, trust me," I said to him, knowing he didn't know about Cassie's abilities.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Mark got to the house and did something to Cassie. She started looking a little better. He was upset, not knowing what was going on. Dad let him put Cassie to sleep in one of the guest rooms and then I asked to talk to him in my room. I was scared to talk to him, especially since he was already mad and I had done more than my share to piss him off over the years, but I was scared for Cassie. She looked so tiny and frail when he picked her up and carried her out of my room.

"What do you want, Denise? I'm busy right now. I don't have time for your games," he snapped at me, coming back to my room.

"I think I know what happened to Cassie," I said, sounding less afraid of him than I really was.

"What happened, Denise?"

"I think she healed my heart again when I fell asleep during the movie."

"What do you mean healed your heart?"

"Mark, I know what Cassie can do. She told me years ago. I don't understand how she does it, but I think it's cool. But, she's been trying to heal my heart. I keep telling her not to, especially when I saw that when I was getting better she was getting sick, but she keeps doing it. She told me she's scared to lose me. I keep trying to tell her the doctors will find a way, even if I know they won't, but she won't stop."

"So, she's trying to keep you from dying, Denise?"

"Yes. She admitted it to me months ago."

"Why didn't you tell me then?!"

"I thought I could get her to stop! I've been trying to! But today, this is too much! I'm gonna die, I know that, and I know she can't stop that, but I don't want her to die with me! Please, just help her… Do something for her so she can't keep doing this. I don't want her to kill herself for a hopeless cause," I said looking him straight in the eyes.

His face softened.

"I'll find a way, Denise. But you may not be able to see her for a while. I'm sorry. Until I find a way to block her from using this ability on you, this may be the best way to protect her from herself."

I couldn't stop the tears from shedding. Cassie was my best friend. The only way to protect her was to keep her away from me?

"If it will keep her from killing her heart to try to save mine, I can live with that. Just tell her I'll always be her best friend and love her?"

"You're not gonna fight me on this? You've always been so close to her, Denise."

"I want her safe, Mark. She's not safe if she won't stop trying to heal me. She can't die for me."

"You're a better friend than I realized, Denise," Mark said as he hugged me. "I'll see if I can do something so she can get back to see you before things get any worse for you."

"Thanks."

Mark left the room and I heard him tell Dad he was gonna take Cassie home, that there was something that might help there. I watched from my window as Mark loaded Cassie into the back of his SUV and drove off, crying, not sure if I'd get a chance to see my best friend ever again.

Over the next few weeks, as the effects of whatever Cassie had done wore off on me, my body got weaker and weaker. Jeff and the others came to visit. Dad let Jeff redesign my bedroom to make me smile. He went crazy in my room, while I was put in one of the guest rooms for a few days. When I was put back in my room, it was as if I had a piece of the Imag-I-Nation in Texas with me. As Jeff hugged me, I pulled him onto my bed and we just marveled at his work. I soon fell asleep on his shoulder, wearing the WWE Jeff Hardy t-shirt that Jeff gave me and a pair of shorts.

I wasn't expecting to ever see Cassie again. Mark wasn't sure he'd be able to protect her from me. So, when the WWE came to town for Wrestlemania, I expected to see pretty much everyone but her. Ric Flair came and visited, bringing his kids with him. It was nice having him around. He and Paul were two of the only ones who could bring a smile to my father's face half the time. Paul and Stephanie came by.

It was nice getting to see everyone throughout the week. On Friday, the day before the Hall of Fame, I had to go to the doctor's office. Doctor Tristan had more bad news.

"Her test results show that she is on the brink of complete heart failure, Michael," he told Dad.

"I figured as much," I said to him.

"How could you know that, Denise?" Dad asked.

"I just knew. I could feel my body changing. I'm sorry, Dad. I tried to hold on for you."

"Pal, you've held on longer than anyone thought. I'm happy to still have you."

"It might be time to think about hospice care, Michael."

"No," I said. "I don't want that. I don't want to leave home."

"I don't want to let her go. She'll stay at home with me. I've already taken the time off."

"If you're sure," Doc Tristan said.

"I am. If there's nothing short of a miracle that can save her now, I want her to be at home with me."

"I understand," Doc Tristan replied.

Dad and I went to the Hall of Fame Ceremony and Wrestlemania that year. It was great to see things from the inside one last time. Until I had gotten there, I hadn't realized how much I had missed being backstage with everyone. We had a blast, and it was the last night out that Dad and I would have together.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

I was officially pulled off of the heart transplant list right before that Wrestlemania when I was fifteen. My body was beginning to shut down in ways that made me ineligible for a transplant. Still, even though I made my peace with dying, it didn't mean I wasn't pissed off as all hell that I was gonna die before I got to do so many things.

As my body wore down more, I couldn't afford to waste energy on the anger anymore. I started to try to focus on anything else. Friends would come and visit, but after a while, even that was a burden to me. Having to see the look of pity in their eyes, it made the visits harder to sit through. Jeff never looked at me with pity. He never treated me like a kid, but he never treated me like I was sick either. When he'd visit, he'd bring something new for my mini Imag-I-Nation and it would always make me smile.

Five weeks before I would have turned sixteen, I got a surprise visitor. I heard the talking downstairs, but I couldn't believe it. Not until she came upstairs. It was Cassie, which meant I had heard Mark downstairs talking to my father.

"Jeff re-did your room," Cassie said, trying not to cry.

"Hey, Cass. Yeah, he did. He calls it the mini Imag-I-Nation. What do you think?" I replied, trying to keep the pain out of my voice.

"It looks great."

"Cassidy, I'm sorry I went to your father," I said, knowing it needed to be said.

"Why did you do it? I could've helped you, Denise!"

"You're so young, and you were getting so sick. You were barely breathing when I woke up from that movie! I wasn't gonna let you die just because I got a bum heart, Cass!"

"I can't lose you. You're the only one who really knows me, Denise."

"You'll find someone else you can open up to eventually."

"Nobody who will get me like you do!"

"Cassie! You will find a new friend and they won't be me, but maybe they'll be able to be close to you like I've been for you. Don't close the world out."

"That's all Dad has me do. He was mad that you knew about my abilities."

"That's his problem. People who really care about you won't give a damn if you have those abilities. I didn't. I was still your best friend. I always will be."

"But I'm losing you!"

"I'm sorry, Cassie. I can't help it. The doctors tried everything."

"How are you okay with this?"

"I'm not. I don't wanna leave my dad. I don't wanna leave you or any of my friends. But I don't have the energy to keep being mad all the time. If I could just change this and not be sick, I would."

"But you stopped me from helping."

"To save your life! You were gonna kill yourself to try to save me and it wouldn't have worked, Cassidy! What you were doing were temporary fixes. You were causing massive issues for yourself and in the end, the effects would've worn off and I would've died anyway, so yes, I stopped you! You're my best friend! I can't let you die for me."

We were both crying. Cassie came and curled up in my bed with me. She held onto me, begging me to fight, not to leave her. In the end, I started having trouble breathing. While I was still in her arms, she called for our fathers. By the time they got to us, my heart stopped completely.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Even though I had died, I didn't feel like I could move on. Dad was falling apart. At my funeral, I heard him tell Paul that he might never go back to the WWE. Cassie wasn't much better. She was at the funeral and something was really wrong with her. Mark wouldn't let go of her and when the funeral ended, they didn't go back to Dad's house like everyone else did.

There were so many people at the ranch. I knew that a lot of people in the WWE cared about me, but it was weird seeing them all mourn me. Looking around, there was one person I noticed wasn't with the group… Jeff. Wandering around, I found him in the mini Imag-I-Nation.

"You were the only person I'd give a piece of the Imag-I-Nation to, Denise."

_I know._

"I hope you liked it as much as you said you did. I had a lot of fun making this for you."

_It meant more to me than you know, Jeff._

"I'll never forget you," he said as he closed the door on my room and I saw he was crying.

I put my hand on his shoulder and he stopped.

"Denise?" he said looking towards me, but not seeing me.

_Don't cry, Jeff. I loved all the time we spent and I'll always remember all of it._

Jeff walked away, but I stayed in my room.

Later that night, Dad came into my room and was sitting on my bed crying. I went to him and held him. I hated to see him cry, even now.

_Daddy, don't cry over me._

His head snapped up and he looked in my direction.

"Denise?" he asked, looking around the room.

Jeff hadn't heard me, but he felt me. Dad heard me. I started focusing, trying to make him feel me. When he did, he jumped up off of my bed.

"Denise, how are you here?"

_I didn't feel like I could leave yet, Dad. You were so upset and I heard you talking about quitting the WWE. You can't do that. You love wrestling._

"I love you more."

_Then don't give up what you worked so hard for because of me. You loved wrestling long before I was ever born. You were born to entertain. You are Shawn Michaels, Mr. Wrestlemania, The Show Stopper, The Heartbreak Kid! You can't just walk away from that. Please, Daddy. Don't just walk away from all of that. _

"But my heart is gone, Denise."

_No it's not. It's broken. Your heart is still beating. It didn't stop with mine, even if you think it did. _

"I can't do this without you."

_You yelled at me for years about running off and doing crazy shit. It was about me living my life while I had it. That's why you always forgave anything I did. You still have your life. Don't stop living it because I can't live mine now._

"It's too hard."

_You have friends, Dad. Paul, Ric, Mark. And I need you to keep an eye on Cassie. She's not okay. I tried to hold on until after she left, but I couldn't, my body just wouldn't let me. She needs to see it's okay to live when you lose someone. Only you can show her that._

"She has her father."

_But Mark can't feel the pain she's feeling. She saw me like you did. The only one who understood her. Be there for her since I can't. Please, don't give up everything. I'm gonna be around, watching all you goons. You're not really losing me. It's just gonna be different. _

"I miss you so much already, Denise."

_I miss you too, Dad._

_**Six months later:**_

I was there the night Shawn Michaels made his return to the WWE. D-Generation X was getting back together. Before he went out, I heard Dad praying, hoping that I was happy and okay. I touched his shoulder to let him know I was still with him. He held back tears before he made his way to the ring to meet Paul where they were about to face Matt and Jeff in a tag team match.

Dad was still a long way from okay, but he had years before he crossed to follow me. In the meantime, I would just observe and hope that the people I loved were okay.


End file.
